St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-25
Familiar Names Of Prominent People
Found in the Records of the Early
Days Of the Town.
History of the Efforts Of Railroads to
Reach the Head of Lake Nav
fgatiOn.
Interesting Cattle Feeding Expert
Observation-Disclosures of Healthy
Revival at Superior.
Special to the Globe.


who in their day, were of national fame.
In the abstract l examined the original
proprletOr-the pre-emptor of the land
was Rensselaer, r. Nelson, now judge OF
the United States court at st. Paul. Among
others of the pre-emptOrs were ID. A. Rob
ertson and ID. A. J. Baker, both now OF
ST. Paul. In further inquiry into the early
history of this town l learn that there was
at one time likely to be contest OF titles,
and delay, if not failure, in procuring the
influence and capital needed to carry out
the plans of the projectors OF the town. In
this emergency Henry M. Rice proposed an
association of the owners and claimants
with men who would bring the required in
fuence and capital. His proposition was
adopted, and such an association was
formed at Washington. Mr.. Rice was one
of the original members, but transferred
his interest to Gen. Walbridge, Of Toledo.
The town plat was recorded Nov. g. 1854.
and the proprietorS there appeared of record
as follows:
w. w. Corcoran, of Washington; Robert j.
walker, OF New York; George w. Cass, of
Pittsburg; Horace S. Walbridge, of Toledo:
r. r. Nelson. George b. Nettleton, d. A. j.
Baker and D. A Robertson. of Superior:
william H. Newton, Benjamin Thompson,
William H. Newton was agent and attorney
in fact for the association.
In subsequent transfers it appears that
Mr.. Corcoran held eleven twenty-sevenths
of the then undivided property. OF which
three parts were his in trust for John &.
Breckenridge of Kentucky, and Stephen
A. Douglas, of Illinois: and 1t appears also
that considerable interests were at one time
held by r. NJ. T. Hunter, Of Virginia;
Jesse d. Bright. of Indiana, and Senator
Beck and the late Gov. Magoffin, of Ken
lucky. Few of the early prOprletOrs now
own large interests here. Of those who
have not sold out MesSrs. CorcOran. Stln-
son and Walbridge own the largest blocks
within the plated town or near to it. The
Northern Pacific Railway company has OBJ
tanned considerable of the town property,
most of it's owning being held. however. for
future use by the railroad. Edmund Rice
and d. A. Robertson are still interested
h9re but the interests OF most of the early
proprietors are divided among numerous
owners.
THIRTY-THREE YEARS AGO.
The ''Proprietors of Superior" (Which
was the title of their association, were
doubtless premature in undertaking to lay
out and build large city at the head of
Lake Superior: but, as a somewhat dis
tinguished statesman of Minnesota has OBJ
served. their foresight was about as good as
our hindslght. 1t Is true that at that time
the skirmiSl lines of settlement in the
Northwest were but slightly advanced west
of the Mississippi. That river was not yet
spanned by railroad bridge, and railroad
building was barely begun in Missouri and
Iowa and only projected in Minnesota.
Only the pioneer explorers knew of the
wealth of natural resources in Northern
Wisconsin and Minnesota and in the Red
River valley. OF imperial Dakota aid
golden Montana and Wyoming nothing was
known that gave promise OF their, present
and prospective development. But here
was the extreme western port of the great
lakes, safe harbOr large enough for the
fleets of the world, and just opposite the
entrance of the harbor forest-covered
p!ain-a natural and beautiful site for
city. On either side of this plain navigable
rivers come down from highlands covered
with pines and other valuable forest woods.
The exposed rocks of the uplands and hill
sides were known to show traces Of copper
aud IRON and it was believed that all the
dividing range of hills. from the ST. Louis
river to the Montreal river, was rich in iron
ores Surveyors and explorers told OF in
dications of copper and the precious metals
which they had observed in their wander
ings over the divide. This was in 1851
thirty three years agO-but the adventurous
and hopeful men who came here in that and
the succeeding two years were not lacking
of arguments to back their confident pre-
dictions that here would be built up the
great commercial and manufacturing city OF
the Northwest.
An early railroad connection with the
settled parts of Wisconsin. Minnesota. and
Iowa was promised. 4 company mad been
organized to build a railway from Hudson,
on the st. Croix, to Superior and to Bay
field, and a government land grant was OBJ
tanned for the company. At Hudson the
road was to connect with another leading
to Dunleith or Dubuque, which en- route
would connect with railroads being built
from Milwaukee and from Chicago. In the
ST. CroiX IL Lake Superior Railroad COM
pany the late DR.. Otis Hoyt, of Hudson
(then register of the land Office at HudSon).
was an active officer. He was, indeed, the
most Jealous promoter OF the project. The
chief engineer of the company, who SUR
veyed and located the road, was Robert
Patten, of GAINESVILLE. Wis. Mr.. Newton,
tine town site agent of Superior, repre-
scented the railroad project in Washington
and New York. He made a contract for
the construction of the road with [Sydney
Dillon, Jackman. Jarrett & Co. Under
this contract the company was to have its
land grant and the completed road, subject
to bonded indebtedness of about $50. 900
per mile of road. One condition was that
the owners of this town site and others in-
terested should guarantee the payment of
interest on loan effected by the contrac-
tors for carrying on the work OF construc-
ton until they had completed section of
sroad on which part of tue bonds were to
be issued. The guaranty was to amount to
500. 600, distributed over a period of five
years So confident were all on the ground
that this guaranty would be given that Mr..
Newton and the contractors brought steam
boat load of supplies to Superior and
put large force of graders Cargo for those
days., at work on Patterns survey. But
one of the parties who was to sign the
guaranty objected. He was Senator
Bright, of Indiana, who thought the con-
tractors had good enough thing of it,
were able to provide what money they
needed, and wouldn't throw up the contract
if they didn't get the guaranty. His OBJ
jectionS prevailed, the contractors stopped
grading. and soon after sold their contract
to the Milwaukee & st. Paul Railroad
company. which reimbursed them for their
outlay and also issued to them second
mortgage bonds to the amount of 500, 600.
These bonds by the way. were never paid,
as they were judicially held to be illegal
and void. The land grant. which tile old
company forfeited, was renewed to the
Milwaukee & st. Paul company, which.
three months after. notified the state that
it would not take the grant and build the
/ road. About this time the old company
was deemed in court to be dead, and from
that time the people of Superior and Hud-
Le,l